The Art of Punk Bass

Run through of punk rock's long lasting love affair with four strings of fury over the years. Starting with The Clash all the way up to A Wilhelm Scream, Plus a few thoughts and shoutouts along the way from your's truly.
Suicidal Tendencies Video:
• The Curious Chronicles...
RKL Video:
• The Forgotten Brillian...
The Ergs Video:
• The Ergs: Most Talente...
Chapters:
0:00 - 1:34 - Intro
1:34 - 4:53 - The Clash, The Misfits, and Motorhead
4:53 - 6:56 - 80's UK Crust/Anarcho
6:57 - 10:55 - 1st Gen Skate Punk
10:55 - 12:37 - DK, Bad Brains, and other fun stuff
12:37 - 17:24 - Rancid, NOFX & 90's Skate Punk
17:25 - 21:48 - 90's Crust Punk & Powerviolence
21:49 - 25:55 - Ska Punk, Street Punk & 90's Hardcore
25:56 - 28:47 - A Wilhelm Scream & Rise Against
28:48 - 2000's Hardcore
30:46 - 32:39 - Folk Punk & The Ergs!
32:40 - 35:25 - Closing Thoughts

[@mattd1659]

Mike Dirnt on Welcome to Paradise was probably the first time I heard bass as an actual instrument and not just background

[@bubblescatshack8658]

That’s exactly what made me want to play bass

[@toddpacker4683]

Stuck with me has really good bass too

[@322dan]

I personally give the credit to John Entwistle on The Who's My Generation in 1965. He was able to expand his bass playing because of the insane talent of Keith Moon. Every bass player before was just following the rhythm guitar or simple drum groove. Entwistle was the first to make the bass stand out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYCwpmytYteqn8k

[@SoDamnGangsta]

it’s the best part of that song!

[@Justabigbeaver]

Same

[@briansalazar7397]

Descendents bass runs exemplify the complexities of taking a lead role in establishing a solid foundation for a stellar rhythm section.

[@mikequinlivan8842]

Honestly, the drum and bass carry the Descendents. Not that the guitar and vocals aren’t superb, but without such an air-tight rhythm section, they wouldn’t be who they are (which is my favorite band ever, from High school to the present day.)

[@devinfrench4924]

Well worded my dude

[@JohnSmith-rk6jy]

Bass to me is like the lead instrument in Punk music.

[@raktimparashar]

And Dub and Reggae

[@xtransxcorex]

in the entire world of punk, I love the bass tones from the UK goth post punk bands, especially The Cure

[@hammerhead222]

Steve Severin! Heavy flanger!

[@dominicseanmccann6300]

Yeah saw killing joke & theatre of hate recently. Bass heavy lot of stranglers influence.

[@pablogonzaga2313]

Absolutely, New Order too.

[@1thess523]

Oh Gallops bass lines and tone were 👌

[@No1WillMakeItOutAlive]

Agreed!

[@martinmora5533]

With all due respect I think you failed to mention the importance of Dee Dee Ramone. Though probably more gifted as a songwriter than a bassist, he laid the foundation for punk rock bass playing. Simplicity tends to be more effective, especially when it comes to Punk. Love your content man. Keep up the good work

[@DaisyHollowBooks]

That says it all. Simplicity is the essence of punk, and Dee Dee exemplified that. Awesome songwriter too.

[@jalenfuller2000]

I have to agree completely there. He was a solid bass player and he got a good tone out of his p bass and is more acknowledged these days

[@mcblahflooper94]

He also played across the neck and didnt default to playing the lowest available note, something a lot of bass players of all genres do

[@user-xb8id9yw3w]

By far my favorite bass player and probably one of the most underrated too. R.I.P Dee Dee Ramone.

[@nelsongarcia9894]

Aside from Dee Dee Ramone, there is no mention of Arthur Kane of the New York Dolls who pretty much had a huge influence on the evolution of Punk bass lines.

[@peterwhite7798]

Rob Wright from Nomeanso is phenominal! Very bass centric punk band from canada. 3 guys that absolutely kill! The record they did with Jello is also amazing!

[@TransDrummer1312]

Rob Wright is probably my favorite punk bassist

[@kevincognito3575]

I agree completely 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 👌👌👌👌👌 👍👍👍👍👌

[@doyleshifflett9534]

Came to the comments to comment this. Top shelf, that fella

[@namoperson5359]

Crap, I just left the same comment, I didn't read this yet, haha! Well at least now he knows,

[@sambarboo4701]

I am shocked to not hear about Mike Roche from TSOL... Klaus (DK) and Matt (Rancid) would never exist without him.

[@DevinRyanVitek]

Mike is such a great bassist. I play guitar but playing Mike's basslines made me a better bassist. They're intuitive

[@resistdespair1977]

Matt Freeman’s band Charger is incredible … it’s a great mix of Motörhead and Black Sabbath vibes

[@doyleshifflett9534]

Thanks. I was unaware of this

[@wayfarer13]

Hot Water Music’s bass player combined with their drummer is also a killer combo, even if not overly technical.

[@caffeinatedinsanity2324]

Jason Black is actually incredible

[@BaepseMan]

Been playing guitar for years and could never understand why I couldn’t grasp it picked up a bass last month and I’ve never been more in love with an instrument in my life

[@toddpacker4683]

The bassist from Cigar is one of my favorites

[@happycat4838]

Cigar is so good!

[@TolietWater]

That entire album is really good on a technical level the drumming is also amazing too

[@josefk.122]

100 percent agree with Todd from Dystopia being a great bass player who’s greatest talent is the ability to hold back when necessary and to thrash when it’s called for

[@punkstudios9955]

So glad you mentioned Brian from A Wilhelm Scream! Definitely an underrated player and band In general. I would love to see a full vid on them! They are my favorite punk band!

[@theriguyayylmao3761]

While I love punk and the bass riffs in it, as a bassist I’d have to say the most bass-forward genres are probably either funk or death metal. In funk the bass provides the entire feel for the song and is what typically brings the most noticeable moments whether it’s from a sharp pop or from just using the space of the mix to get the audience into a groove. Death metal tends to use the bass as the driving force of the song (similar to punk) and will often have really fun bass refrains or even solos

[@googleedwardbernays6455]

Yeah, funk is funk. Its like black licorice You either love it or hate it. As far as heavier , less acessiible metal goes, i tend to feel like , due to the punks wider “range of sounds/styles” theres more choices as far as bass-styling/ style goes. So punk has more noticeable bass highlights. This is just my opinion. So..,

[@yaboi2500]

If we’re focusing on just tone, Harry Crosby and Michael Gira of Swans played some of the nastiest bass lines on their self-titled EP, as well as “Filth”, “Cop”, and “Young God EP”. “Sensitive Skin”, “Weakling”, “Cop”, and “I Crawled” are some notable tracks from each album.

[@moviesfordudes]

My first concert post pandemic was Wilhelm Scream, Cancer Bats and Comeback Kid. Glad to see Wilhelm get some love. Very underrated

[@humbertoRust]

Awesome bands. It must have been a blast

[@geengeklooi]

Rancid - Journey to the End of the East Bay, Overkill - Head First, D.R.I - Acid Rain | some of my favorite bass riffs / tones. Cool video my man, deff gotta look up some of these bands!

[@chano1283]

Now to mention someone and their band that’s totally absent from the video and the comments: Billy Club and the Dickies! Not only was Billy a great bass player, he also did a lot of those sick vocal harmony’s. As well, it seems very much forgotten that their first two albums, “the Incredible Shrinking Dickies” and “Dawn of the Dickies” both came out in 1979. Read that again. 1979! Not throwing shade, I just learned this myself a few months ago. On top of this, from a musical standpoint, they are simply the best power pop band out there. Their level of musical sophistication is quite unrivaled. They truly deserve a mention in that initial roster of early punk band. And their own video!

[@wompers7018]

Love The Ergs! shoutout. Immensely underrated band, that opening bassline on Every Romance Language is just bonkers.

[@xxnooook]

Dystopia is probably my favorite punk band of all time their over all sound is just so perfect so grimy and gross it’s awesome it’s also cool when I see other fans I don’t know a lot bc I’m a awkward 13 year old lmao

[@scottbridges5066]

Dude. The bass has never been just a background instrument. It’s the root of the melody in most songs. It’s the anchor pulling most songs together.

[@gazzy_burns]

True, but some punk bass players are just off the chain fast, shredding up and down the neck.

[@mutex77]

I get what your saying, but alot of bassists just double the guitar to thicken up the sound, so people dont really notice they're there and might not notice if theyre missing. Musicians would, but we're a minority. Metallica completely removed the bass from justice for all and even if you check the comments right now on those videos, there's people that say that album sounds great (it doesnt). Go watch some sex pistols footage, half the shows they'd just turn Sids amp off because he didnt know how to play, or was too fucked up to bother trying. No one really noticed.

[@joshfrench5858]

@@mutex77 you are 100% correct. It’s a instrument that goes largely unnoticed, unappreciated or both.

[@JohnnyAngel777]

Would sit thru a ½ hour of Aus Rotten. Also, votes for both Oi Polloi and The Oppressed. Crass sounds good, of course. 👍

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Crass is definitely gonna get a video one of these days

[@brianoconnor3047]

"sounds good" is certainly an apt descriptor.

[@baabaabaa2293]

Whack Conflict in the mix Subhumans too.

[@JohnnyAngel777]

How about some 7 seconds? I almost got a back patch of theirs but then I was like fuck sewing. ,.I..

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

@@JohnnyAngel777 7 Seconds is an old fave of mine. Probably worth a video at some point too

[@pixelfascination]

I'm an old guy, so grew up with bands like Subhumans and their bass player Grant Jackson, DK's, and later into my teens bands like Broken Bones and their bassist Terry Roberts (Tezz). I'd love to see you do a documentary on Ska as there is so much to look at, especially in the UK 2-Tone era of the late 70's and early 80's. Cheers for this one by the way, it was an interesting watch.

[@doyleshifflett9534]

Almost forgot Grant. One of my favorites

[@user-xb8id9yw3w]

Don't forget citizen fish or culture shock

[@bl00df4rt]

Haven’t started watching yet, but I’m stoked! As a punk bassist, very pumped you decided to make a video like this. Keep it up!

[@literalwho9017]

actually nice and well researched video, I just wanted to say Mike Watt definitely had chops, and he's probably the best punk bass player of all time (imho), his SST peers (Kira, Lombardo) and the associated late 80's US Post-punk players like Joe Lally or Clint Conley were technically proficient, but in their case, more concerned about tone and songwriting, like you said, but Watt is incredibly versatile, he can shred, he can lay some really mellow Joy Division/Wire melodies, he can slap, he can play in wacky time signatures, he can do some galloping riffs and he can just be the glue needed to keep a song together when you need it

[@danframpt0n]

Great idea for a video, Jack. Love it.

[@SkoobyDooBop]

SHOUT OUT to CV/LoC bassist Alec Ballie. Such great riffs. RIP

[@shanespringer5495]

Pezent Shayne from CV is good too

[@grahamm4677]

Absolutely want an Aus Rotten video!

[@franciscohernandez8322]

There's a band called Falling Sickness that pretty much changed everything I knew about bass. I learned their album called Right on Time from start to finish it shaped who I am as a bass player

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Failing Sickness is tight. Kinda skate punk/ska hybrid. There weren’t a lot of bands that got that crossover quite right but they were definitely one them.

[@therebuilder]

Much props for mentioning Falling Sickness ! (RIP Gabe) Those guys put on the best LIVE show !!! Saw them twice. 1998-1999.

[@Mywatchisblack]

Love ska music, I know alot of people think its really nerdy. Its just so fun and so full of energy

[@jacekjasina5693]

And source of some positivity and happiness among all the war, dystopian and no hope lyrics and music of most punk and more so crust bands. There is as much glumly reality of life one can endure, a wee break, dose of happiness ska offers is wonderful!

[@geneevans7885]

Ska bass ain’t no joke.

[@rigelmugley241]

As a new bassist, I loved this video. I have been listening to punk for about 30 years and it always surprises me of all the bands you mention that I have never heard of. I would love videos on Dystopia and Aus-Rotten, They are a couple of my absolute favorites.

[@eliashirschfeld5454]

My personal favourit has to be Peter Hook from Joy Division. He cuold play these faster riffs like in Digital and also the slow ones like Atmosphere. And of course the bass chord riff from Love will tear us apart is just genius.

[@dbuonojr]

You need to give Jason Black from Hot Water Music, he's definitely In that upper tier of bassists like Matt Freeman, and Brian from AWS. He's a jazz bassist at his core, and he knows when to turn it on, and also when to tone it back

[@tombuck]

Ska-related videos would be absolutely skawesome! All of the work and research put into this video is incredibly well done. Thank you!

[@Checkofoto]

Great video! Love seeing all my fellow bass nerds on here. I do want to call a few other players not covered: Mike Dean (C.O.C), Mikey Offender (D.R.I/OFFENDERS/M.D.C.), Michael Cornelius (J.F.∆), Pinkus (Butthole Surfers/Melvins), Steven McDonald (Red Kross, OFF!/Melvins), Mike Fellows (Rites of Spring), and Kendon Smith (Qore). And the list goes on.....

[@JohnSmith-rk6jy]

Fuck Yes. Love MDC. "Missile Destroyed Civilisation!!!!!!"

[@henryseeman2006]

Really glad you spent some time in this video talking about Joe Principe cause he's the reason why I play bass

[@ケイリakaケモイ]

I actually love ska too. An overlooked bassplayer in that genre would be Matt Malles of the Toasters, played a 5-string on all the 90s records and is absolutely incredible. Low-key one of the most influential players in the genre but even the people influenced by his basslines may not know his name.

[@adammsbarry]

love that the Koffin Kats got a shout out. they really are an amazing band

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

honestly one of the best psychobilly bands imo

[@porkmilkshake]

Bob by nofx is fun to play on bass, the whole middle section of that song is a playfully jazzy breakdown before going back to the songs simple main two chord riff. Also pull my strings by the Dead Kennedy’s. When Jello tells everybody to put their hands together and Klaus comes out with that nifty little bass line right before the solo. I’ve been playing that line as a warm up for almost a decade now. Even on the guitar it is just downright satisfying. It’s a bit of a shock the first time you realize how much of an influence jazz had on many of punk rocks most important bands. I’ve always been a punker and always will be, but now that I’m in my 30s and slowing down a bit I’ve come to appreciate and explore other generas one of the most important being jazz. Kind of like the stuff Black Flag was playing during the “family man” days. Or even stuff like The Residents despite their not being a punk band.

[@peteonretreat2023]

Mike Watt idolizes John Coltrane and often covers his songs.

[@johngillespie3409]

My favorite punk bassist is Rob "Blasko" Nicholson from Cryptic Slaughter. One of the fathers of Crossover, they started in 84 in Santa Monica They put out 3 albums in the mid 80s before finishing highschool. The third album everybody hates because it's production was bass heavy, 🎸🤘he plays for Ozzy and Zakk Sabbath now. And the Circle Jerks song 15 minutes is my favorite Bass line. and had 6 years of tuba in the school band 🤘😜

[@darko149]

He was also Bass player for Rob Zombie's solo band.

[@johngillespie3409]

@@darko149 I actually met him, when he was playing for Rob Zombie, and Robert Trujillo at a hotel party at Ozzfest in San Antonio. they had a bathtub full of beer 🍺🤘

[@patswayze7359]

I'm from Pittsburgh and got to see aus- rotten play alot in the 90s,behind energy lines in the early 2000s, a video would be awesome

[@gregchainey2571]

The bass player from the Strangers is always a favourite His large hands made light work of a stretch

[@natelandherr5202]

Great video, glad Lemmy was mentioned. The only person I could think of you forgot was Chuck Dukowski

[@miffmaff2673]

Couldn't agree more about RKL, the bass on the Riches to Rag album is incendiary! That main riff in the song Betrayed still gets me going after all these years. The whole album is just an absolute banger. It's what you want your band to sound like. Definitely my fav / most influential bassist. 2nd would be the guy on the first 3 Straight Faced records, maybe do a vid on them sometime?

[@FeatSkateboards]

Straight Faced!!!!

[@wide_awake]

Joe is insane

[@chano1283]

Straight Faced is a band you don’t hear much about anymore. I remember them from those early Fearless comps. Great live band, as well.

[@wide_awake]

Dude from Straight Faced was insane

[@Jusferr]

weve all needed this video for a long long time the bassists thank you sir

[@jesusgavemeaids]

Grant & Phil from the Subhumans(uk) criminally underrated bass players. As well as Klaus Flouride.

[@JohnSmith-rk6jy]

Fuck Yea Klaus! 💪

[@StickSlayersInc]

Whether or not you really feel Green Day is a punk band Mike Dirnt should definitely have gotten a mention. He may have not necessarily invented his own style but he's definitely a very capable musician especially early on in their career. For the most part his playing stayed on the end of just serving the song more than being flashy but the little additions he added on top of that are top notch. And I know it's not necessarily he himself who gets credit for this he's probably on the list of most influential bassists in terms of inspiring bass players in recent history.

[@johngillespie3409]

Green day is a rip off of the Northern Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers

[@StickSlayersInc]

@@johngillespie3409 I'm a fan of both bands and I dont see how you could make that argument when all the similarities are present in half the punk scene?

[@donnix1192]

@@StickSlayersInc I agree, it’s such a ridiculous claim considering the redundancy of the genre.

[@johngillespie3409]

They opened for Bad Religion in Austin and they had dookie, the fucking singer for fucking Bad Religion is a fucking college professor, they fucking had dookie.

[@johngillespie3409]

@@StickSlayersInc they said it themselves

[@davesleyer9393]

Great video as always! I’m always stoked when you post. I would love a video taking a deeper dive into the folk punk scene.

[@stillhaven1605]

Another one of the most talented bassists in punk music is Scott Shiflett from Face to Face. I recommend listening to the live album. This video was great. I would like to see some ska videos. NJ had a big scene when I was growing up. Catch 22 used to play their songs at like twice the album speed and the crowd would go wild. Plus I liked some smaller bands like One Cool Guy, Taxicab Samurais, and Edna’s Goldfish.

[@krnhitokori]

Hard agree on Scott Shiflett

[@beaumcalonie4251]

One cool guy!!

[@adun24]

Amazing video. You should share your top 10 punk bass lines. In 2010 I had the chance to see AWS live in Panama and after the show, my friends and I had a couple of beers with Brian outside the venue, top notch bass player and amazing human. Won’t forget that day.

[@user-qo1wx1ic4w]

As a bassist thank you for making this video lol

[@evenoddridge4829]

Thanks for the video just here to say that the first and especially second Slightly Stoopid album has some of the best punk bass playing out there

[@briank6534]

Yaas make SKA videos! I was a band nerd so ska was my link into punk.

[@Denny_7782]

My old band Gutwrench, from the SF Bay Area, used the Boss Distortion pedal for our bass. The goal wasn't to be the best, it was to be fast and loud....with amazing feedback 🤘

[@nasa9000]

I would definitely love to see some more on ska. Theres a lot of tasty baselines

[@jrdehart]

Yes to some Ska videos. I’m a big fan of pop punk and ska, and the bass lines from these genres definitely influence my playing today.

[@DaisyHollowBooks]

I’m an old punk rocker and thought I knew a thing or two. Not even close. This is the first of your videos I’ve seen. I’m not big on ska. If you’re delving into folk punk, check out The Bad Livers, if they’re still going. Their bass player is mind-blowing. I’m subscribing and looking forward to more!

[@spencerb9998]

A video about ska would be cool! ever thought about doing videos on famous punk venues? Cuckoo's Nest, Godzillas, 924 Gilman, Hong Kong Cafe, CBGB's(even though must punks already know a lot about CB's) some venues just shape how a scene is formed, and just as integral as the bands they hosted.

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Venues would be a dope subject. Labels is something I wanna cover too

[@joshfrench5858]

@@thepunkhistorian6397 be sweet to see you do top ten lists, your favourite new bands coming up, maybe some punk news? Bands going on tour, up coming new albums etc.

[@jonathanlich7801]

Ska was such a fantastic genre for bass lovers and how it drive songs more than most sections. Grew up listening to mustard plug, reel big fish and less than jake.

[@jj-eg5up]

The dude from op iv and rancid owes alot to his awesome tone cutting through the mix. Of course he is a monster of a player, but we never know it if we couldn't hear it.

[@tstorm2002]

Hey Jack, I met you a few weeks ago at the A Wilhelm Scream show. Congrats on the 20k subs!

[@mrnordyk1125]

JazzCore, MathCore and post 00's Post Hardcore, Post Punk bassists are killers🤟 Converge and His Hero Is Gone have a cool bass tones. For example in 00's when I went on Punk gigs with my friend wchich was in to Thrash Metal and Melodic Punk, Skate Punk were on show he always liked bass lines in those bands even thou he didnt liked melo Punk music😁 Good video🤟 THX🍻

[@haydenbsiegel]

Okay I am giving this channel a shout out in my next video. Punk was where I got my start with a band named Citizen Uprising and I chose the bass after a friend told me he needed one. That night I while listening to Rancid I decided on it and then after our first and only gig I got a letter from Matt Freeman from Racid encouraging me. My Aunt knew the band personally so she put us in contact. To this day I still keep my punk rock soul alive by learning to play stuff on stage bu booking with randoms when I get the chance but of course I developed my chop and also have session work as well as professional orchestra work with big bands and classical orchestras. Thanks for the video and trip down memory lane. You got a shout out on my tiny channel and a sub from me.

[@aaronmiles8286]

Ska rules!

[@fuzzb0x436]

Ska sucks !

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

*H E Y Y Y O U ! D O N T W A T C H T H A T , W A T C H T H I S*

[@briank6534]

@@fuzzb0x436 the bands are only in it for the bucks!

[@littleswedishboy]

@@briank6534 It's so fun/weird to think that that's John K from The Weakerthans playing bass on that song. Lol

[@baabaabaa2293]

Special AKA & the Beat weren't bad.. fuk the happy shit!

[@vickiignaszak5041]

When I think of memorable punk bass lines the first couple that pop into my head are songs from nofx and rancid. And while that may partly be due to the fact I've listened to 90s skate punk more than some of the older music mentioned, it's also because fat Mike and Matt freeman really defined punk bass in that era. Like the first song to pop into my head when I saw the title of this video was "journey to the end of east bay". Rancid basslines are a lot more memorable than their guitar parts. Bass is a very underrated aspect of a lot of punk genres. The drums of 90s skate punk wouldn't have the same drive to them if they were just backed by some simple ramones-esque bassline.

[@avril1427]

Always love to see appreciation for Dystopia. A full video dedicated just to them would be siiick

[@JustDontCareee]

Joe Raposo is a fcking beast, the best punk bass player for me, can play anything and with different touch. His bass lines are pure style

[@DaisyHead666]

I agree 100% with the Dystopia segment. Todd was a monster on the bass.

[@sethcohen4119]

Simonon sounded like that because he also learned his instrument on the job- Mick Jones basically taught him to play. He just got real good real fast.

[@Vinezlul]

Lex Feltham is the most underrated bass player of all time. Go listen to anything he did with Frenzal Rhomb and you will see why. He truly is the most unique bass player in punk rock. Recommend checking out: Its up to you Genius Gambling vomit sleeping in the bin Dugadugabowbow You cant move into my house.

[@tom5677]

Good to see some love for little joe and joey erg, definitely my two most underrated bass players of all time

[@endowhywolf6122]

Yes please, to more ska coverage!

[@anthonysilveira3515]

Hell yeah! New Bedford native here, been a fan of A Wilhelm Scream for two decades!

[@cactusrider7686]

really appreciate you giving Against All Authority a mention. Being from south florida, Danny Lore was my punk rock bass hero ....they fucking rock

[@MrNerd-nk5vu]

a video on ska punk and folk punk would be awesome. also i just saw A Wilhelm Scream and that was the best show i've gone too yet. any one who has the chance should go see them live should

[@wayfarer13]

Bri from AWS is such a killer bass player. He really brought them to the next level.

[@mylesayres6060]

I hoped like hell you'd do a video on this bro. And hearing how you got into playing punk is nearly identical to how I picked up the thunder stick. I learned from a young age the who's who for all bass playing like Geddy Lee, Billy Sheehan, Cliff Burton, Steve Harris, and even Vic Wooton. But, literally, all the bands and respective players you mentioned were my initiation into punk culture. And all truly shaped how I play and write. Freeman, Fat Mike, lil Joe, Joey Erg, Jim Cherry, also Joe Principe. They all left their mark on my style in some little way. Second/third wave ska and 90's skate punk have really become staples in my playlist permanently. I may be nobody on the east coast right now, but it's been sick watching your channel and finding someone who shares the same love for punk bass as I do. And discovering your band has to be one of my highlights of the year, mate. Maybe we'll cross paths someday. Anyway, take it easy man. I'm already hooked for the next video! ✌️

[@bl00df4rt]

Go back and listen to GBH’s City Baby’s Revenge. The bass on there is top notch. A huge, insane improvement from their debut.

[@chano1283]

Another great video, sir. To echo what’s in the comments, YES to videos on Crass, Dystopia and Aus Rotten! Pete Wright really held down most Crass songs.

[@yackohoopy]

@The Punk Historian, you hit up my favorite punk rock bassist and biggest influence when I record baselines, Matt Freeman. I’ve been recording all of the parts for the band that I’m hoping to form when the album is done, Fugly Mucklings, but you had hit up every punk bassist I could think of. Awesome video. I don’t think people know how important punk bass is.

[@user-xb8id9yw3w]

Devo and the violent femmes also had incredible bass players as well. I have seen both of those bands live several times and was blown away by the bass. Thanks for the great video.

[@gabriellegagne2020]

I have always loved the bass line of Hunter Burgan from AFI. From the early albums like Answer that and stay fashionable and from their more pop emo time like Death of seasons. Not necessarily the best bass player in the world, but good enough to not be only a background sound even when their were more pop. 🤗

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Love the early AFI stuff

[@georgeperez1839]

Hunter didn't join afi til open your eyes just sayin

[@gabriellegagne2020]

@@georgeperez1839 didn't know, thanks. 🌹

[@kylekuhnline3066]

Geoff Kresge, who now plays bass in FEAR

[@TheWashout13]

This video got you an instant subscriber, great job dude!! Amazing info and very well spoken!!

[@BuildNStuff86]

The late 70’s UK bands like The Jam and Generation X are my favorite bass tones of all time. Freeman is the man but another east bay band with a sick bassist was AFI (when they were still hardcore), listen to the intro to “brownie bottom sundae” . And next time you listen to Guns n Roses, listen to the bass tone, it’s super obvious that Duff came out the hardcore scene. I played bass in a punk band for years and I think the secret to getting that punchy tone was just turning up the mids on the amp all the way.

[@baabaabaa2293]

Oh fukyeah! Foxton rips on the bass. JJ from the Stranglers no slouch either.

[@lobotomyscam1051]

Duff played through a chorus pedal, too.

[@ansgarlorenz]

Props for including RKL

[@Denny_7782]

Yeah man, Paul Simonon killed it on bass with The Clash. As far as "Punk" bass goes for me, Fat Mike killllllllllllllllllllllllls it! I also like the bassist from ALL and Jason Black, the bassist from Hot Water Music

[@Denny_7782]

Descendents bassist as well!

[@craigpatrick1]

The first Rancid album has some of my favorite bass playing!!!

[@ryandanford5289]

DUDE never heard of RKL until now, but holy shit these dudes shred. Kinda reminds of of A Wilhelm Scream, but like an OG sound.

[@ryandanford5289]

AND NOW I SEE YOU ACTUALLY GAVE AWS A MENTION NICE

[@imjustsam1745]

YES, I effing love ska. I'll watch the video if you make it.

[@JeffNixonComedy]

A Wilhelm Scream's bassist has always been my favorite. But for the most part I just enjoy straight forward bass...as long as theres a fast punk beat blazin on the drums it's all good ha ha Edit: glad you mentioned Jerk Cirus & The Fullblast...man I wish I could go back to the early 2000's and listen to all the incredible skate punk bands for the first time all over again

[@justinhughes4119]

Yeah dude totally do a video on ska, im not completely into it personally but it'd still be an interesting watch, as for folk punk I love the genre. That would be another great watch also, this is my first time on your channel and I love the deep dive you did here.

[@croulantroulant3082]

Matt Freeman said in an interview he learned his chops by studying the Who's "Live at Leeds". Which does not surprise me! John Entwistle aka Thunderfingers could be considered the grandfather of all punk and metal bass playing.

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

Tbh that doesn’t surprise me either. A lot of the East bay bands from back then were really into The Who. I know Mike Dirnt (and all of Green Day) heavily inspired by them

[@croulantroulant3082]

btw I've been bingewatching your vids these last few days, good job man!

[@thepunkhistorian6397]

@@croulantroulant3082 thanks!!

[@SkySplitterInk]

So happy to hear mention of A Wilhelm Scream. First played with them in early 2000s when they were Smackin Isaiah and have been a mega fan ever since!

[@CannaToker420]

Ska videos would be awesome dude. Appreciate you, brother

[@coconutthecockatiel478]

Imo, Matt Freeman will always be the best bassist. Just in general and to me personally; his playing is what made me want to learn bass and gave me a true love and appreciation for it I otherwise probably wouldn't have

[@pentalarclikesit822]

Anybody who doesn't think that Fat Mike has technical chops has never tried to learn the bassline for "Separation of Church and Skate."

[@crabboi6909]

Literally lol

[@minuscaseus]

The Idiots Are Taking Over as well

[@GrandmasDay32]

Or Ribbed! Decline was great too

[@jeff7764]

And to sing it as well.. I don’t understand? Seems impossible to me

[@yaboicolvin2870]

Or idiots taking over

[@wide_awake]

Punk bass playing is WAY underrated

[@wide_awake]

I think it’s also worth noting how nasty Lagwagon’s original bassist was…Jesse. Finger picking too 🔥 I know, there’s a few more you could add to the list, just saying.

[@ramaburns9038]

I love your videos so much man and I think what you are doing is awesome, I play bass and have Been playing for two or three years now ,and I'm honestly very surprised that you left out Alec Baillie of Choking victim who in my opinion is probably one of the greatest punk/Ska bassist of all time. Once again I love your concept so much and hope to see more of it

[@matthiasmauritz7689]

eyy scrolled too long for this, is he also the bassist of leftöver crack?

[@sethcohen4119]

The best upright bassist I've ever heard (and he was madman onstage) was Spike Katz from the Boston band Kings of Nuthin'. Particularly on the 2nd album Fight Songs.

[@FrancoisCantine]

Just discovered Dystopia 'cause of you videos. Please, do a whole video about them, I want to know more!

[@captaintankacab927]

Great video! I think you missed a HUGE piece of the puzzle by not mentioning Chuck and Kira from Black Flag. Remember, they were one of the, if not THE first band to tour the country and spread the word/sound. Half these bands started because of hearing/seeing Black Flag. Keep up the great work, love your channel!